Sodium is very active alkaline metal. It quickly is oxidized on air, often with ignition, it vigorously reacts with water with release of combustible hydrogen and formation of solution of caustic soda. For this reason it cannot be found in the nature in pure form, sodium meets in connections. In the industry sodium is received by means of difficult electrochemical processes to which fusions of salts of sodium are exposed. But a small amount of this marvelous metal can be received in the handicraft way.
It is required to you
- Graphite cup, graphite core, sodium hydroxide, oil, powerful DC power source.
Instruction
1. Take the cup made of graphite (the cup from precious metal will be ideal). Place in it a small piece of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), it has to be slightly humidified.
2. Then around a piece of sodium hydroxide pour a little dehydrated oil, but so that the top part of a piece was not covered with it. After that take a powerful DC power source and its minus connect a wire to a cup, and to plus connect a graphite core.
3. Now include food, and ship a core in the moistened sodium hydroxide. The moisture which is present at substance will increase electric conductance, but it will not be enough completely to react with sodium. At the big power of current metal sodium will be emitted on a minus electrode (graphite cup), and the butter layer will prevent it to contact to air.